Printing-press



(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. MILLER.

PRINTING PRESS.

No. 249,969. Patented Nov. 22,1881.

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(ModeL) P. MILLER.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

PRINTING PRESS.

Patented Nov. 22,1881.

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iINrTEn STATES PATENT IQFFICEQ PHILIP MILLER, OF-NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

PRlNTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 249,989, dated November 22, 1881.

Application filed April 30, 1881. (Model) which are connected with a printing-press for the purpose of checking the momentum of the traveling table or bed as it reverses its motion. These devices are generally known as airbunters.

My invention consists of an automatic tight ening and relaxing gripe-lever, which operates .the piston-rod of the air-bumper; also, of a continuous piston-rod with two heads working in two separate cylinders, which heads cushion or condense the air between themselves and one end of the cylinder, whichever way they are moved; also. of coiled springs arranged between a gripe operated sleeve and collars upon the piston-rod to break or lessen the concussion of the sleeve upon said collar before the air-cushions are operated; and, finally, in a sliding valve-stem. working inside the hollow piston-rod, and serving to admit and then cut off the air from passage out of the cylinders.

In the drawings which form a part-of this specification, like letters refer to like parts.

Figure 1 is a side view with part of frame removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig.3 is a sectional viewon a line,:rx,of Fig. 2. Fig. at is a detailed longitudinal section of the piston, the cylinders, and its heads, 850. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the sleeve, pistonrod, and valve-stem, showing gripe c; and Fig. 6, a longitudinal vertical section of same.

A represents the type bed or table, to which a forward and backward motion is applied by connections from a wheel giving power.

B B represent cams lying in the path of the bed, and serving to operate the elbow-shaped automatic gripes by elevating their free ends.

0 c are the elbow-gripes for operating the piston-rods, and (l d spring to keep the valve-stem in its correct position.

C is the part of the frame over which the bed moves.

' C isa freelyslidingfriction-trough provided with friction-rollers, and moving between the frame C and the bed-plate A, as the latter reciprocates upon the former.

D is a poweravheel, to be operated by steam, water, or hand, as preferred.

'6 is a bent projecting arm, attached-by bolts to the bed A, and serving to move the same.

fis alink-connection between 0 and an arm, 9, moved by the power-wheel.

E E are the cylinder-heads, within which move the piston-heads E E when actuated by the hollow piston-rod p;

h h are the friction-rollers at the ends ofgripe bent levers cc.

y'j are coils of wire, which first receive the impingement of the sleeve when moved by the gripe-levers c c.

jj are collars secured to the hollow pistonrod 1).

K is the sliding valve-stem. m is the end opening in the same for admitting air, and a passages for the airintothe cylinder upon either side of its head.

0 is a screw connecting sleeve p to valvestem K.

The operation of the above devices is as follows, viz: The type bed or table is moved back ward and forward by thewheelD through the connections g, f, and c. The elbow gripe-levers are pivoted upon the table-frame, as seen in Fig. I, and hence move backward and forward with it. Suppose the table to be moving to the right, as seen in Fig. 3 of drawings; then, shortly alter movement connnences, the friction-roller h on the outer free end of the lefthand elbow gripe rides up the cam or incline B, and this, of course, while tilting the free end up,rnoves the lower end, provided with its rectangular opening, along the sleeve 10, upon which it rides, until it catches so firmly upon the same as to carry it (the sleeve) along with it in-its movement to the right. The lower ends of the gripe-levers h ave rectangular openings, which pass freely over the sleeve which operates the air-brake rod, except when the upper ends of said gripe-levers are raised by the cam-incline. Thus it will be seen that the movement ofthe table to the right automatically operates left-hand gripe to take hold of the sleeve 1), while the right-hand gripe slides by its rectangular opening freely over the said sleeve 1). The forward movement of the sleeve is first taken up and checked or cushioned by the coil j, but finally moves forward the collar j, attached to hollow pistonrod 7. The first part of the forward movement of the sleeve 12 carries forward the valvestem K, being secured to the same by the screw 0.

It will be seen that the same reciprocating piston-rod carries two heads, E E, which normally rest midway of the air-cylinders E E. During the movement to the right the pistonheads cushion against the outer end of righthand cylinder and inner end of left-hand cylinder. During the motion of type-table to the left the cushioning (through the contained air, of course) is against inner end of right hand and outerend of left hand. Each movement, therefore, ofthe table is cushioned twice by the air inthe opposite ends of cylinder and once by the coil-spring j. The same piston does double the work as in the old arrangement of a single cylinder and piston-head, and in the present instance the heads are at all times where no dirt or paper can collect about them. The present arrangement greatly avoids undue friction, which always causes a table to settle out of true line with both air-chambers and plunger-heads, and indirectly causes bad printing. When the movement of the bed is reversed the roller h on elbow gripe-lever drops off from inclineB, and this at once releases the gripe of this lever upon sleeve 1), so that the sleeve 1) passes through the rectangular slots in both gripes by the recoil ot' the compressed spring.

It is perfectly evident that the cams B are to be arranged relatively to the length of the piston-rod so as to catch upon the sleevep at the middle of the movement of the table, or nearer the last of said movement, according as a greater or less amount of so-called cushioning is desired.

It is evident that my devices can be used in any and all machines with reciprocating beds and it is also evident that by doubling the col lars a donble-coil-spring bumper may be formed with same piston-rod, and that either single or double coil-spring bumpers may be used with the automatic gripe-levers without the use of air-cushions. 3

I am well aware that air-bumpers are not new, as applied to the reciprocating beds of printing-presses.

I am fully aware that air-cushions are commom for printingpresses which operate to make a single (not a double) cushion at each are required.

movement of the type bed or table, and that the piston of the air-cushion is operated by lugs or clamps-as, for example, the patents of O. B. Cott-rell, Nos. 114,268 and 212,196; and Ihereby disclaim alldevices therein shown.

I am aware that in patents already granted the broad idea of a clamping-cam to grasp the piston-rod of an aircushion or bumper is shown; but in such cases intermediate devices between the rod of the air-cushion and the bent lever Ido not therefore broadly claim this; but

hat Iclaim as new and of my invention is- 1. In combination with the reciprocating bed of a printing-press, the angular pivoted lever c 0, combined with an adjustable cam, B, to regulate the throw of the piston, the griping end of said lever being slotted to form a rectangular opening, by which said end freely moves over the piston-rod ot' the double cylinder air-cushion, except when said leveris tilted so that the upper and lower sides of the slotted end firmly grasp and hold the said rod, all as and for the purposes described.

2. I11 an air-bumper of a printingprcss, the combination of a single piston-rod with heads at each end working in air-cylinders closed at both ends, whereby at each movement of a reciprocating bed, by connecting mechanism, substantially as set forth, a double air-cushion is produced, all as and for the purpose above set forth.

3. In combination with the two cylinders of a printing-press air-hunter and the single piston-rod with two heads, the valve-stem K,

open at each end, connected to the operatingsleeve 1), and furnished with openings that admit air into the interior of the cylinders when openings in the piston-rod register with said valve-stem, all as and for the purposes described.

4. In combination with the two cylinders, the piston-rod with two heads, the sleeve 1),

. operated by the automatic gripe-levers, and the wire coil-spring resting at one end against collars on the hollow piston-rod, and serving to partially break the force of the movement of the reciprocating table before the air-cushions commence to operate, all as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In combination with the two cylinders of the air-bumpers, their hollow double-headed piston-rod, and its sliding Valve-stem carrying sleeve to the springs 01 d, to keep the sleeve 9 in a normally central position, all as and for the purposes set forth.

' PHILIP MILLEP.

Witnesses: 1

ALLEN TENNY, HENRY H. BURNHAM. 

